Brotherly Board Game Bonding
by oh HALE no
Summary: Remember Jasper and Emmett's 8-board game of chess in MIDNIGHT SUN? This is the story behind their own complicated set of rules. ONESHOT


_If you've read the bit of Midnight Sun that was posted, you'll remember the part where Jasper and Emmett are playing chess with 8 boards together and their own complicated set of rules as Alice helps her husband out. How did this begin? A playful brotherly bond/fluff with Jasper and Emmett. _

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Stephenie Meyer owns it all. _

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**1950**

She left for the day, off shopping with Rosalie and then a quick hunt. She had to have asked me if I'd be okay alone three thousand times. It was only two days since we had met the Cullens, let alone lived with them. I nodded over and over, telling her not to worry and that I would hunt soon enough. Being contained in a house without humans was easier to control my thirst, though my burgundy eyes were slowly turning black.

In the house was a study, which Carlisle said I was welcome to browse and I did whenever Alice was off with Esme or even Edward as their musically inclined talents meshed. So today was one of those days.

Edward was playing on the piano, Esme was wandering the house, Carlisle was at work, Rosalie and Alice were off in the city shopping, and I was in the study, sitting in the plush armchair. Who knows where Emmett was…

The silence helped me and hurt me. I could focus on other things and have time to let my thoughts go, but even if I had just fed, my thoughts would go straight to the burn and dry ache in my throat. The times got harder, the yearning stronger, and the fight became more like I couldn't win.

This time I heard murmuring outside the doorway in the hall and the piano continued quieter so Edward could speak. "He likes being alone," he said evenly. He hesitated, listening to whatever thoughts he was answering before replying, "Yes, I know that. I envy him for finding some peace in this house." It had to have been Esme.

"Emmett is the perfect candidate," Edward continued.

"For what?" Emmett boomed and I closed my book. Was I turning into a burden? I thought taking time to move away from them was a good thing. Sure, I wasn't exactly making a niche for me in the family, but I was here for Alice, not for a family. I would convert to their diet, but if I didn't fit in, that wasn't my expectancy.

Silence and then Emmett chuckled. "That's all?" I opened my book again. Maybe I was overreacting… Perhaps they weren't talking about…

"Hey, hey, hey," the door slammed open and Emmett grinned, standing in the doorway. "Whatcha doing?" he asked with a smirk and I looked down at the book, then back at him and raised my eyebrows. "Ah, reading," he noted and I nodded in response. In a flash he took my book, folded the page down and closed the book, tossing it over his shoulder.

"…"

"So, what ELSE do you do that includes more than you?" he asked. I hesitated and he smirked, taking it the wrong way. "NOT LIKE THAT, JEEEEEEZZZZ. I have Rose for that…"

"I didn't mean—"

"I'm joking, relax… So…" Emmett looked around the room and so did I. "We can sit in awkward silence and I'll never leave or you can tell me what you do."

I sighed and he grinned in triumph. "Chess," I replied and his face fell. "Alright.  
"What's wrong with chess?"

"Edward taught me and I hate it… Well you can't cheat, so maybe…" Emmett sighed and rolled his eyes. "It's boring."

"It's a game of strategy," I answered back.

"It's a game of boring," Emmett replied and I stood up.

"We can make it interesting," I answered, hoping he would join in.

"Like a bet?" Emmett asked excitedly.

"Make the game more interesting… Not a bet, but adding another board," his face fell and I sighed. "Make up a new set of rules. You know the basics as do I, so…"

"Alright, alright, lemme get the other boards," he was back before he finished his sentence with three other boards and we went toward Carlisle's table with a glass chess set on top. A wooden one was places beside it and he put the others to the side.

"Everything's doubled," I began. "Only one King, two queens, double the pawns and knights, bishops…"

"How about one queen?" Emmett replied with a smirk, taking my queen off the board. "This is fun already," he muttered to himself.

**1969**

We added two more boards, bored of just two. I played with Alice today, trying to explain the rules, but she barely listened and cheated anyhow. Emmett had the same encounter with Edward before he threw the less expensive chess set at his brother's face. Alice and I, though I won't admit it, watched in amusement.

**1988**

One board was lost in a quick move. Emmett and I went to the local kid's toy store to buy another chess set and we got carried away with buying six. That makes ten boards, minus the one Emmett threw at Edward that smashed on impact, which made nine.

**1989**

We left the new chess set in Emmett's room and after a long day of lust pouring out of their room, we discovered the wooden chess set was shattered. He apologized, but nine boards was too uneven for the rules anyway…

**1993**

I let Alice play again… She cheated still, but you gotta love her for humoring me.

**2000**

Another complicated rule was set up. Still with our now –once again—ten boards, there was now two kings and four queens, though that felt like cheating. When I beat him in chess today, Emmett stood up and smashed the chess board to the ground, thankful that Esme wasn't there to immediately attack him about the dent in the floor, and caught me in a headlock a millisecond after I stated, "checkmate."

Gotta love brotherly bonding…

**2005**

Edward has returned from Alaska after a week or so. The hostility coming from Rosalie was unbearable and I felt bad for Edward – no pun intended – but it was nice to not be considered the weakest for once, even if it was only for a week and three or four days.

Rosalie was in the garage, Edward was muddling over his piano, watching us intently before sitting down and staring at the instrument as if waiting for sound to emanate without his manipulation, Esme was wandering the house doing random things, Carlisle was at work, and Emmett and I were deeply involved in our chess game.

He was beating me.

Three times he said, "check," and three times I faked a humorous façade and somehow, out of sheer luck, got out of it. I looked over Emmett's shoulder as his eyes scanned his pawns. I saw Alice perched on the chair by the computer, one leg under her as she hummed and designed with the new software she had bought.

"Check." My eyes shot back and he did it again..

I moved my one remaining queen and knocked his pawn off the fourth board. He sighed and looked up at me, smirking in triumph as he found his next move. I glanced at Alice helplessly, and then back at the board. How could I get her to help me? "Check."

Alice yelped quietly as I sent a wave of lust her way just to grab her attention. "You alright, shortie?" Emmett asked, watching me with a permanent grin. I moved my king lamely to the left.

"Fine, but Jas—" I ceased her with a quick glance and shook my head, but Emmett was too enthralled in my recent move to notice.

She looked at me questioningly and I glanced at the board then back at her. She raised an eyebrow and rolled her eyes before closing them, turning back to her computer. I hesitated, hearing Emmett say 'check' once again and I – once again – lamely moved my king where possible.

I looked back up and Alice leaned back in the chair, mouthing Emmett's next move. I smiled at first and then wiped my face clean of any clue that I was using my wife's psychic abilities to cheat.

In less than three minutes, I said, "checkmate."

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